Is there a browser extension to block layer pop-ups?

July 4, 2014 6:42 AM

You've seen them, sliding in from the side or suddenly obstructing the text you're reading: "Would you like to take a survey?" or "To subscribe to our website..." These are inline code, so pop-up blockers don't catch them. Is there a plug-in that does?

(Does anyone EVER have any other reaction than automatically trying to get rid of the unsightly hindrance so you can finish reading what you came for?)

And while I'm ranting, I'd like to send a formal request out into the internets for some valiant developer to make a script that condenses "click our page 30 times to view all the gallery pics" into one efficient page. I know they want me to see moar ads, but dear lord it's so artificially tedious!

posted by heatherfl to Computers & Internet (11 answers total)

The gallery pic thing exists and was posted on the blue. I think either adblocker or ghostery block those obstructing texts because I use both and don't get them when those are turned on. The other solution, which I use when I have them turned off for some reason is to click the stop loading button immediately once the page is loaded. Those blocking things are usually set to load a second or two later.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 6:44 AM on July 4, 2014 [1 favorite]

AdBlock Plus will disable these, if you can isolate the script using ABP's "Open Blockable Items" command.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:53 AM on July 4, 2014

Does anyone EVER have any other reaction than automatically trying to get rid of the unsightly hindrance so you can finish reading what you came for?

Yes. Interstitials are extremely effective in generating newsletter signups for the client sites I run and we use them all the time.

Anyway, if you are looking for a blocker, I'd try using the term interstitial and see if that helps.
posted by DarlingBri at 7:03 AM on July 4, 2014 [1 favorite]

Best answer: deslide is the answer to the auxiliary question.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 7:05 AM on July 4, 2014 [1 favorite]

When using chrome, I generally just right click, inspect element, and then delete the object from the page.
posted by bfranklin at 7:11 AM on July 4, 2014

I use NoScript, a Firefox extension. By default, this prevents JavaScript from running on a given domain until you decide that you trust it enough to allow it. The vast majority of interstitials rely on JavaScript to run. If you decide you trust a website to run JavaScript, it's very easy to allow (either temporarily or more permanently) from the extension button. And if you discover that allowing them to run JavaScript results in a barrage of annoying ads, you can put them in the Untrusted (more permanent blacklist) corner just as easily.
posted by Pandora Kouti at 7:13 AM on July 4, 2014 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Adblock Plus also has a companion extension, called Element Hiding Helper, which makes selecting the element(s) to block very easy.
posted by daisyk at 7:14 AM on July 4, 2014

Response by poster: Ahhh I love you all! Thank you so much!
posted by heatherfl at 7:16 AM on July 4, 2014 [1 favorite]

I came in to share the answers I got when I asked the same thing:
http://ask.metafilter.com/255826/But-first-this-important-message-How-can-I-prevent-this
posted by Obscure Reference at 7:20 AM on July 4, 2014

If the first thing a site does is cover up the thing I came to read, the only thing I'm clicking is the X to close the tab. I'm not willing to interact with anything so deliberately user-hostile.
posted by Scienxe at 11:15 AM on July 4, 2014 [5 favorites]

deslide is the answer to the auxiliary question.

Yeah, but don't get too excited -- rarely works, in my experience.
posted by Rash at 6:19 PM on July 4, 2014